


We Can Work It Out

by chasingbluefish



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Anal Sex, Canon Divergent-Everyone Lives, Canon Spells, Explicit Sexual Content, First War, M/M, Men in love, idk how to tag, lots of spells, made up spells, post second war, time jumps
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-25
Updated: 2019-03-25
Packaged: 2019-11-04 15:44:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17900915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chasingbluefish/pseuds/chasingbluefish
Summary: A series of unconnected scenes in which Remus and Sirius use spell work to deal with life, love, and everything in between but namely first war espionage, sex, and renovations.





	We Can Work It Out

**Author's Note:**

> This is my piece for the inaugural Remus Lupin Fest and I am so excited that there is now a fest for my favourite character. Thank you to the amazing mods for putting this together! And to Arty and Yume and Muse and LoonyasaLovegood for their help! I love you all to bits. And everyone in discord for the cheering up and on. You guys rock. There is a bit in here that is actually a discord conversation and I know some will recognise it!
> 
> My prompt was to have five spells used in quick succession but not in a dueling or fighting situation. I tried my best but the succession thing was quite difficult but I tried to put as many spells as possible in there, I hope the prompter likes it. Thank you all for reading.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The house was old. Not old in a charming way, not the kind with character and well-loved surfaces. Broken panes decorated nearly every window along with moth eaten curtains. The door was barely on its hinges while the shingles of the siding were only half intact. Remus thought the place looked as though someone had dropped it right out of a muggle horror film set. Its location on the edge of a dark pine forest and against a rocky craig did no favours.

 

“This looks lovely. Really picturesque.” Sirius muttered, wand out as they climbed the rock-studded hill.

 

“Perfect for a holiday brochure.” Remus’ answering grin was tight. “Come and have all of your nightmares fulfilled. Boggarts? We have em’, looking for a good inferi encounter? Kitchen chock full. Acromantulas by the nest ...might even be a dementor in the closet. And if all else fails, there will be several death eaters ready to torture you until you’re mad.”

 

Sirius snorted. “Exactly what we want to go into when trying to find a hidden book our enemies don’t want us to have. Thanks, Moony.”

 

“You’re welcome.” Remus had come to a stop thirty yards from the house.

 

The intel had come to them through a slightly unreliable source. A wizard they had met through Mundungus Fletcher, which spoke for itself; but in a war, a losing war, there was no space for ignorance. Better to risk going and finding nothing than casting the information aside and missing an important key to survival. There was always the possibility that they could be walking into an ambush. Remus found he was actually expecting a pair of death eaters to pop up. Catching Sirius Black would be a huge win for the other side.

 

Together they immediately began to check for wards.

 

There were a few entry level protections which the boys found no trouble in breaking down. The simplicity of it set their hackles further on edge. Not even a caterwauling charm went off the closer they got to the steps. A shield penetration spell disintegrated a mediocre buffer charm and both men felt their nerves amp up that little bit more. There was a solid ninety percent chance they were about to walk into either a death trap or wasted trip.

 

The door itself wouldn’t yield to any unlocking charms and after a second’s debate Remus dropped to his knees and pulled out a small roll of fabric. Selecting a pair of thin metal implements, he set to work and after a bit of maneuvering it clicked open.

 

“I always forget you can do that, then you do, and I find myself forgetting all about the mission at hand and thinking more about how I can use those fingers to-”

 

“It’ll be your reward if we get out of here alive.” Remus got to his feet, joints popping. It was only a few days out from the last moon and his body hadn’t quite bounced back yet. He felt a hand on the small of his back, rubbing soothing circles, and a hint of a smile touched his lips.

 

Usually, Dumbledore avoided sending them on missions together, as he did with James and Lily or Alice and Frank. The extra worry, the possibility of a loved one in peril never worked in their favour. For the most part, they usually agreed. But numbers were down, things were moving in the wrong direction and desperate times called for unlikely decisions.

 

“Let me…” Sirius reached for the rusted door handle and Remus had his wand at the ready.

 

Inch by inch, he swung the door open but nothing happened.

 

Remus and Sirius exchanged looks and slipped in, back to back as soon as they were able.

 

More spells, more silent creeping with nothing but physical cues or side glances to communicate as they cleared the house.

 

Wordlessly, Remus set up a detection charm to warn of any incoming witches or wizards before they split up.

 

In an old upstairs bedroom, Remus began to rifle through drawers, upend furniture, dig through the closets. Everything was put back of course, just as he found it. He was a much more methodical searcher than Sirius, the lack of frenetic energy taking longer but sometimes yielding better results.

 

A pile of old boxes and trunks in the far corner were his next target. Remus began to pull them open, one by one, until he reached a small, dusty, old thing near the bottom of the pil. Unlike the previous boxes, this trunk wouldn’t open. Alohomora didn’t budge it, nor did other similar spells.

 

“ _Cistem Aperio_.” The lock snapped back almost begrudgingly and the lid flipped up.

 

Inside lay a nondescript notebook. Worn leather, yellowed pages peeking out from the cracked spine.

 

Remus carefully tucked his fingers beneath and began to lift. It was affixed to the bottom of the trunk and with a grunt of annoyance, he cycled through a few release charms before Emancipare freed it.

 

“Sirius…” He called over his shoulder towards the door, moving to the bed to open the volume.

 

Blank pages met his perusal and he sighed.

 

“ _Revielo_.” Remus intoned, crisp pronunciation.

 

Nothing.

 

“ _Homenum Revielo...Specialis Revielo...Apericium...Apare Vestigium!”_ He began to cycle through every reveal spell he knew, regardless of intent.The final charm was a last ditch effort but to his surprise runes began to spill across the pages, ink winding like spiderwebs.

 

“Sirius!”

 

“What? Are you okay?” The taller man was instantly in the doorway, eyes pinched with worry.

 

“I’m fine.I found it. I think. Unless it’s a decoy...look.” He held out the book but as he did a loud shrieking filled the air.

 

“Fuck, incoming. Let’s go.”

 

“See you on the other side.” Their faces were grim but with a spark of excitement, fingers brushing, and then they disapperated.

 

* * * *

 

Mid afternoon sunlight filtered in through the cottage windows as Sirius stepped inside and kicked off his boots. Bags of shopping hung off of his arms and he dropped them on the kitchen table with a ‘thunk.’

 

In the living room, Remus was seated at his desk, reading glasses perched on his nose and sleeves rolled up to expose the strong lines of his forearms. As his quill scratched across the parchment, he could hear Sirius’ footfalls cross the old boards of their floor. He smiled, deliberately keeping his gaze fixed on the task at hand.

 

Fingers came to rest on his shoulder as Sirius’ familiar scent enveloped him.

 

“I was thinking about you while I was out.”

 

“Were you?” Remus asked, scrawling away at his work, ignoring the way the fingers slipped a little to dip beneath the collar of his jumper and stroke along the bone just there.

 

“Yeah...I was remembering that you looked really shaggable lying in bed this morning before I had to go tend the garden and how I was going to come back upstairs and ravish you after...but then you were cooking...and we needed shopping and you wanted to work on your marking...and it got completely put off.”

 

“If you’d mentioned your intended ravishment, I might have done the marking later.” Remus’ was finding it hard to keep his gaze on the desk with Sirius’ dipping his hand further to swipe a callus fingertip over Remus’ nipple. Rubbing just there until it peaked beneath his touch and Remus let out a rush of breath.

 

“Oh, my bad. Allow me to correct my mistake. Remus Lupin, I intend to thoroughly ravish you. Now, infact. If you’re amenable.” This was intoned in a deep rumble, just next to his ear and Remus felt a shudder of arousal go through his entire body.

 

“I think...I could find the time, yes.” As he spoke Remus pushed his chair back and stood. Instantly, Sirius had his hands on Remus’ waist, lips finding a spot just behind his ear to kiss and suck at.

 

“Let...me...spoil you, hm? Been a while since I have.” Sirius said between nips. Remus nodded, chuckling when Sirius’ toes caught the rug and a string of profanities was muffled against his skin.

 

“If you plan on doing all of that to me, you best get started.”

 

“Oh shush, I’m being romantic.” Sirius grumbled, one hand leaving Remus’ hip long enough to slip the wand from his sleeve. “ _Obscuro_.”

 

Fabric appeared, unfurling and wrapping itself gently across Remus’ eyes and stealing his vision.

 

_“Oh.”_

 

“Now…” Remus felt himself being walked backwards into the center of the living room, momentarily abandoned to hear Sirius rustled something nearby and moved about. “Perfect…” Another mumbled spell and suddenly Remus’ clothes were gone. He could feel the heat of the sun on his skin, shining in from the front window and the slightest of breezes as Sirius came close once more. “You’re so bloody beautiful...if I had my way you would never wear clothes. Ever. I understand that it’s required for your job but…” Fingers skirted down his sides, caressing and tracing their way past his half hard prick and down around his thighs. Remus huffed, pink flushing his skin.

 

“Sirius…”

 

Sirius’ hands came around to grasp his hips and then slid back for a firm grope of Remus’ arse. He massaged and rubbed at the firm flesh, dragged his nails with just the merest hint of pressure.

 

Remus let out a low gasp, toes curling against the rug. Between them, he grew harder still, body leaning instinctively into Sirius’ hold.

 

“You were lying in the pillows...with the sun in your hair. It caught all the silver, made you look like you were spun gold, Moony…silver and gold everywhere...” With his thumbs Sirius rubbed into the crease between ass and thigh, circles of increasing pressure until Remus’ breath caught and the frisson of pleasure made his hair stand on end. A pair of lips attached themselves to his shoulder, sucking and biting their way to the juncture of his neck.

 

Reaching blindly, he found Sirius’ still-clothed waist and held on, giving in to the sensations, moaning low in his throat when Sirius sank his teeth in just over his pulsepoint.

 

“Fuck…”

 

“That’s the plan.” He could feel the grin in the words, the curve to Sirius’ lips. In his mind's eye, he could picture the way Sirius’ pupils would dilate, the way his gaze could switch between predatory and awestruck so quickly in bed.

 

“Could you maybe...fuck me now, worship me later?”

 

“I’ll think about it.” Sirius husked, hands finally leaving Remus’ backside and grasping Remus’ cock and sweeping up in one fluid stroke. Pleasure had him grunting, rising on his feet to follow the movement but Sirius gave him no chance. “Like that, Remus?” Another smooth stroke, hand twisting over the head, thumb swiping across the slit. Remus hissed, nails clenching on Sirius’ waist.

 

“You’re still dressed.” Remus answered finally, hips canting forward, legs spreading to give Sirius more access.

 

“Imagine I’m not.” Sirius said before kissing him, fingers dragging through the dampening curls at the base of his cock. He teased the skin, stroking the flat of his thumb over heated flesh and dipping beneath to palm the heavy sack there. He rolled it between his fingers, kneading until Remus’ thighs began to tremble.

 

“Nnnh…Sirius…!”

 

“Like that?”

 

“Fuck!”

 

“And this?” He lifted the bollocks enough to get his index behind and pushed up against the tight stretch of skin. Electricity hummed beneath Remus’ skin, a staccato of _fuckyespleasemoresogood_ hammering in his veins.

 

“Yeah…” His answer was practically a growl as he rocked back and forth on his heels, bliss and need spiralling fast with every calculated push.

 

Sirius had begun to kiss him again, deepening the embrace until Remus could barely tell where one started and the other ended. Gods, he was getting close already. Sirius knew exactly how to play him, play his body. He knew how much pressure where and what kind of kiss in which spot would have him panting, how to lick his way into Remus until he was nearly sobbing for release. And now, that relentless rock and push had him speeding towards completion already.

 

“Sirius...fuck...stop, I’m-”

 

“Close?” It wasn’t so much a question as a statement and he could hear the smirk in it.

 

“Yes!”

 

Immediately the hands withdrew.

 

As he stood, sweating and twitching he could hear Sirius mutter the same spell and knew that the other man was finally naked. He reached out again but Sirius took his hands in his own. “Back just a few steps…”

 

Beneath his feet the rug gave way to the soft fleece of a blanket and he grinned.

 

“No rugburns…”

 

“No. Fuck that. They took forever to heal last time.”

 

Gauging the distance, Remus hooked a hand behind Sirius’ head and pulled him in for a kiss, nipping his bottom lip and sucking it into his mouth.

 

“Mmm…” Sirius hummed against him, hips jerking when Remus’ free hand gripped him hard, surprising him. “Eager, hm, Moony?”

 

“Quite.” This was punctuated by another rough kiss which Sirius was loathe to break. But he did, taking Remus’ hands once more and guiding him backwards a few more steps.

 

“Just sit...trust me,” He instructed, holding tight as Remus lowered himself to the ground.

 

“Pillows? Oh, you _are_ spoiling me.”

 

“Told you, I’m romantic.”

 

“Biggest romantic I know.”

 

“I better be the only one you know.” It was said in jest, lust tinging the words and Remus longed to rip off the blindfold, to drink in the sight of Sirius staring at him. Rarely did Remus ever feel anything other than average; but when Sirius would look at him, as he knew he was now, as if Remus was the only thing in the entire universe. Like Remus was something more than grey hair and shabby clothes. More than his monthly transformations and scars, like he was just... _more_.

 

“I want to see you…” He said, reaching.

 

“You can see me all you want later. With your eyes covered, everything will feel more intense. I said I want to spoil you, Remus. Let me.”

 

“If I must…” He tried to sound put-upon but it was difficult with Sirius pushing him back into the pillows and dragging his nails up the meat of his thigh.

 

“ _Ludibrius_ …” The spell was said precisely, in a deep hum of breath and suddenly Remus’ entire body shivered with sensation. Even just shifting against the blanket sent sparks of pleasure reeling up his spine and he moaned, fingers tightening against the fabric.

 

“Fuckkkk…” It was a long, drawn out sound and Sirius chuckled, leaning over him and running his fingers through Remus’ hair and down, down, down. The heat of Sirius’ breath against his skin made him shiver, hips rocking up when the brunet began to kiss a path down his neck, across the stark line of his collarbone and settled on his chest. Remus buried a hand on the back of Sirius’ head, twisting the dark strands around his fingers, arching as Sirius bit down on a nipple before drawing back and blowing gently across the sensitive skin.

 

He’d nearly forgotten about the spell. They’d chanced upon years earlier, almost an aphrodisiac. It took the body’s normal reactions and amplified the pleasure.

 

As Sirius payed attention to nearly every single inch of his body. Remus found himself writhing beneath his touch, moaning at the lightest of kisses, cock thick and heavy against his stomach, twitching at each point of contact no matter how light. Every press of lips radiated outwards until it felt as though a hundred mouths were teasing his flesh. Even the ghost of a breath sent electricity skittering through his entire body. Pleasure wound itself around every single nerve.

 

Time dissolved around him.

 

When Sirius dragged his tongue up the crease of thigh and groin, Remus almost wept with the need of it.

 

“Now...fuck, I need you to fuck me now. I can’t...nnng...Sirius, now.”

 

“Right now?” Sirius nosed into the nest of curls, just skirting the base of Remus’ cock and nipping playfully at the inside of his thigh.

 

“Yes, now.…” With his hand still caught in Sirius’ hair he yanked hard, drawing him up until their hips were level. He moved up against him, moaning as they rutted into each other. “I’m just on that edge right now and when I cum I want you inside me, hm?”

 

He felt the full body shudder those words produced in Sirius and smirked as Sirius told him to roll over, pillows providing all of the cushioning he needed.

 

A pair of lips attached themselves to his skin, kissing their way down to the small of his back.

 

“ _Asinus Purgaret…”_ The pleasant tingling as the spell cleansed his body had him grinding down into the blankets. Sirius smacked his arse playfully, murmuring something about behaving which only made him do it again. “ _Alvum Oleum.”_ Sirius’ finger slid between his cheeks, checking the efficacy of the spell and dragging some of the slick around his hole, rubbing a teasing circle. Remus grunted out a string of curses, pushing back against him until Sirius gave in.

 

Seconds later he felt the blunt pressure of Sirius’ cock pressing against him, easing in and stretching him wide.

 

“Oh gods...fuck…” Sirius rasped, hands finding Remus’ hips and digging in hard enough to bruise. Remus revelled in it, thrusting back until Sirius bottomed out.

 

They stayed like that for a few seconds, breathing, until Remus began a slow undulation of his hips and Sirius moved to match it, years together bringing an easy familiarity between their bodies, innate knowledge of how exactly the other needed it.

 

“I….nnn...harder…” Remus gasped, sweat beading down his back, hair plastered to his neck. Sirius pulled back until just the head of his cock caught in that tight ring of muscle before slamming his hips home. Remus cried out, urging him on and soon they were moving with abandon. Names fell from lips in repeated mantras, Remus scrabbling at the blanket in an effort to stop himself from going headfirst into their sofa.

 

It was hard and dirty and each man sought their release without a single thought, confident and comfortable enough in the other’s presence to be selfish in their needs.

 

The sound of skin against skin, the slick slide of their bodies echoed in the room and Remus found his eyes nearly rolling when Sirius rammed hard against his prostate, “Again, fuck, again...just like that.”

 

Sirius’ answering thrust had Remus arching hard and he felt himself spiraling fast towards release. He felt Sirius’ arm shift and slide against his side. A hand closed over his cock, immediately beginning to work him in time with every push of Sirius’ hips. He tried to call out a warning, to let Sirius know, but climax slammed into him, carrying him away. He swore, long and loud, shuddering as his body rode out the wave of euphoria.

 

Sirius continued to work him through it until Remus slumped forward, spent.

 

“Go on, use me.” Remus groaned, tightening his muscles around Sirius, moving in a way that made Sirius choke out his name like a prayer. Immediately, he felt his lover’s hands grasp his hips and Sirius was driving into him, thrusts growing short and erratic until he went rigid, teeth sinking down into Remus’ shoulder as he spilled deep inside Remus’ slick heat.

 

They stayed like that for a time, still joined, breathing together and trying desperately to calm their racing hearts.

 

“ _Finite Incantatem.”_ Sirius rumbled a century later and the fabric around Remus’ eyes disappeared. He could feel the Ludibrius charm leave his body, seeping softly from his senses.

 

“That was…”

 

“Yeah…” Sirius agreed, finally moving enough to gently withdraw and flop down next to the other man on the disheveled pile of pillows. He found Remus’ hand and grasped it loosely.

 

“We should clean up…” Remus spoke again, sliding closer until they were curled around each other.

 

“I kind of like being here like this…”

 

“So do I...just with less cum.”

 

“Right...got it…” Wand still in hand, Sirius pointed it at Remus. “ _Aguamenti.”_

 

Remus yelped as ice cold water landed directly in the crack of his arse.

 

“What the HELL-”

 

“Sorry, sorry...I wasn’t...shit.” Sirius looked equal parts appalled, shocked, and amused. “I wasn’t thinking...I just...water...cleaning...you must have fucked my brains loose, Moony.”

 

“How would that even-”

 

“I don’t know! Here-” He cast a quick drying charm and then let Remus take care of the cleaning spells.

 

After a quick consultation, they decided to lock all entries into the cottage and settled down in their makeshift nest on the floor for a well deserved nap.

  


*  * * * *

 

“Are you sure that you’re okay being in here?!” Remus shouted over the sound of a crumbling wall. Sirius stared with satisfaction as the narrow kitchen in Number Twelve Grimmauld Place suddenly became much more open.

 

“Yes. I already told you. Several...perhaps a thousand times? The war is over, we’ve no need of a secret hideout. It makes no sense buying a property in London to stay in when we only come here for a few days at a time, barely once a month. Harry and the other kids could use it to kip when they’re caught short. Hell, they could move in and we’d still have room for us.” Sirius put his hands on his hips, dust from the fallen wall mix with the natural grey that had begun to thread into his dark hair.

 

“...and it feels good. Ripping apart everything my family built. Turning it into something they would hate.”

 

Remus opened his mouth to speak but Sirius held up his hand to stop an interruption.

 

“...it’s therapeutic. I spent so much time stuck here, hating here, wanting out. The awful fucking ostentatious shit that they hung so much pride on. I’m going to take it and turn it into whatever I want. I’ll paint a fucking rainbow across the ceiling. Windows everywhere, not a single trace of their poison. It will be a happy home.”

 

“It will.” Remus nodded, smiling at the look on Sirius’ face. There was determination, anger, glee. Most importantly there was purpose. “So...have you come up with a floor plan yet? Or are you just blasting away until you like it? I mean, some of these are definitely going to be supporting walls.”

 

“Magic darling.” A wave of his wand conjured a column identical to one in the front entranceway beneath the new ceiling space to support it.

 

Two more walls came down, one entirely of storage and old China. More pillars went up.

 

“See? We can probably create some bigger windows in here too. Let's go upstairs.” Sirius had a bounce in his step and a grin on his face as Remus followed him up the basement stairs and into the hall.

 

After what felt like careful consideration, he headed for the parlour.

 

“ _Diffindo, diffindo, diffindo,”_ The old drapes fell with a tearing sound and sunlight flooded in. “Always hated those things.”

 

“Are you keeping anything?” Remus asked.

 

“No. We have a fortune to fill this place. Get to work, Moony.”

 

Remus found himself grinning right along with the taller man, raising his wand.

 

“ _Scourgify.”_ The carpet was suddenly pristine.

 

 _“Evanesco.”_ An antique vase disappeared. “ _Incendio.”_ Sirius’ ignited a pile of old letters in his mother’s perfectly educated script. When they spread to the table beneath Remus was quick to extinguish them.

 

“ _Locomotor Armoire.”_ Remus raised a stately old cupboard from against the wall and moved it across the room. The wallpaper was shades brighter behind it, brighter being a relative term. The Black Family loved their dreary pallet. Something glittered on the floor and he moved towards it but froze when his foot sank into something unpleasant. “Fuck...ectoplasm.” He groaned, pointing his wand. “ _Skurgio._ ” As the green goo shriveled up and disappeared, Sirius came over to look.

 

“Disgusting.” He grimaced, pointing and performing the same spell at a pile in the corner. “Think the ghouls are still around?”

 

“Not likely. We took care of them last time. Got the doxycide just in case?”

 

“Yup.”

 

Together they stared at the awful wallpaper. All intricate paisley and stripes in colours that hurt the soul.

 

Sheet by sheet, they vanished it to expose the stained drywall beneath.

 

“ _Apstergo_!”

 

Centuries of stains and impurities were stripped away. It took a long time but finally they found themselves standing in a bare room. The larger furniture was piled high in the middle but everything else; carpets, tapestries, personal touches, was gone. Only exposed boards and empty walls surrounded them.

 

“I almost like how white the walls are.” Sirius mused, arms crossed. He looked thoroughly satisfied with himself and Remus stepped a bit closer until their shoulders were touching.

 

“Lunch break?”

 

“Merlin, yes, I’m starving.” Sirius replied but paused right at the end. “One more thing though, should have been our first step.”

 

With deliberate steps he headed out into the hall.

 

“Moony, be ready with some new pillars!”

 

During their ‘renovations,’ Walburga had been relatively quiet, only screaming when something loud happened. Now she was hurling insults with increasing fury at Sirius, who was patiently ignoring her. Instead, his eyes were tracing the contours of the wall upon which her portrait was stuck.

 

“Mind any shrapnel too, Remus.”

 

“Yeah, of course, you too.” He’d stepped back, wand ready to throw up a shield if needed.

 

 _“CONFRINGO!_ ” Sirius roared.

 

The wall exploded in a mass of wood and plaster. Dust obscured the air but beneath it Remus could still hear Walburga Black wailing about dishonor and the destruction of beloved home.

 

“Finally free, you old bitch.” Sirius was grinning, hair wild and full of white powder. He was crouched down, staring at the dislodged painting. Well, partially dislodged. The portion of wall it was stuck to was still intact but thanks to the spell, no longer standing. A wave of the wand had her up and moved until she was leaning against the opposite wall while Remus conjured some more columns to hold up the building.

 

“ _Accio Wardrobe!”_

 

The armoire from the parlour came floating out and Sirius promptly stuck the portrait inside. Multiple locks, chains, enchantments, and a Gryffindor ribbon just for kicks.

 

Remus watched it all and when it was done, he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Sirius and Sirius sank into him.

 

“Better?” He asked, already knowing the answer. Sirius dropped his face onto Remus shoulder, nodding into the worn fabric.

 

“We can bury it in the basement later. But lunch first. The Leaky?” His words were muffled but Remus heard him perfectly.

 

“The Leaky sounds lovely.”


End file.
